President Donald Trump said he will attend the meeting with Japanese officials in Washington, DC on Thursday to negotiate on trade and “the cost of military support”.
Trump hit Japan with tariffs and has also criticized a security agreement with Tokyo, a key democratic ally in East Asia where the U.S. faces major strategic threats posed by China and North Korea.
“Japan is coming in today to negotiate Tariffs, the cost of military support, and ‘TRADE FAIRNESS.’,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
“I will attend the meeting, along with Treasury & Commerce Secretaries. Hopefully something can be worked out which is good (GREAT!) for Japan and the USA!”
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in his country’s parliament on Monday that he is “not of the view that we should make big concessions for the sake of wrapping up negotiations quickly.”
“In negotiating with the United States, we need to understand what’s behind Trump’s argument both in terms of the logic and the emotional elements behind his views,” Ishiba said.
U.S. President Donald Trump walks to a ceremony welcoming the 2025 College Football National Champions from Ohio State University to the White House April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC.
U.S. President Donald Trump walks to a ceremony welcoming the 2025 College Football National Champions from Ohio State University to the White House April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Win McNamee/Getty Image
In March, Trump questioned a long-standing security treaty that obliges the U.S. to defend Japan if it comes under attack, in exchange for allowing American bases on Japanese soil. Tokyo must also defend the U.S. if it is attacked in a Japanese territory.
“With Japan, we have a deal, which is a very interesting one. And I love Japan. We have a great relationship with Japan,” Trump said.
“But we have an interesting deal with Japan that we have to protect them but they don’t have to protect us. Did you know that? That’s the way the deal reads.
“We have to protect Japan—and, by the way, they make a fortune out of us economically. We have to protect Japan, but under no circumstances do they have to protect us.”
U.S. goods exports to Japan in 2024 were $79.7 billion, with trade the other way worth $148.2 billion, leaving a trade deficit of $68.5 billion for the U.S.
Trump points to America’s trade deficits as evidence of an imbalanced and unfair relationship, and is using tariffs to force negotiations on new terms.
Japan’s trade profile with the U.S. is concentrated in exports of automobiles and high-tech electronics, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.
Top U.S. exports to Japan include liquefied natural gas, pharmaceutical preparations, meat and poultry, industrial machines, medicines and medical equipment, civilian aircraft, engines and parts, and corn.
Japan maintains relatively lower tariffs overall, but protects sectors like agriculture and leather goods through non-tariff barriers and quotas identified in the USTR’s 2024 National Trade Estimate report.
This is a developing story and more information will be added soon.
AloJapan.com